Other Cool Stuff
While my career is dedicated to the stars, I believe that diverse interests fuel creativity and resilience. Here are a few things that keep me grounded here on Earth.
Martial Arts & Writing
I have been a practitioner of the martial art of To-Shin Do since 2007, currently holding the rank of Go-Dan fifth degree black belt. To-Shin Do is the counterweight that keeps the rest of my life steady. It teaches me to recognize tension and struggle—physically and mentally—and provides the tools to return to center. If this practice weren't a pillar of my life, I simply wouldn't be able to balance everything else I do.
I am the co-author of "Ninja Wheel of Power: Unlocking the Energy the Drives Success" (published Oct 2025). As an astrophysicist, I am driven to understand how the external universe works. As a martial artist and spiritual seeker, I am driven to understand how my internal universe works—mapping the energies that allow us to calm down, focus, or find balance under pressure, and this is the perspective I sought to bring forward in this book.
View Book
Art & Painting
Research often requires dissecting the universe into data points and equations. To balance this, I turn to watercolor painting to reconnect with the sheer beauty of the cosmos.
Painting the night sky and space inspired landscapes is my way to de-stress. It serves as a quiet reminder of why I fell in love with astronomy in the first place, allowing me to appreciate the mystery of the stars without needing to solve them.
Astronomy and Harry Potter
I love finding the intersection between pop culture and hard science. Astronomy is the only course taught at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry that is also taught in the muggle world. I have enjoyed exploring the interestion of astronomy in the Harry Potter stories with real world astronomy. I have given talks for Astronomy on Tap in both Tucscon, AZ and Boulder, CO on the topic, as well as at the Harry Potter fan convention Leakycon. I unpacked many of these ideas from why astronomy is taught at Hogwarts, to the characters with celestial names, to connections to alchemy in the universe as a guest on the Potterversity podcast.
Potterversity Episode 44: "The Stars Are Bright"
April Fool's Research
Every year on April 1st, astronomers submit "joke" papers to the arXiv. In 2025, I decided to make my own contribution to this tradiation as a Swiftie.
The Eras Tour: Mapping the Eras of Taylor Swift to the Cosmological Eras of the Universe
This paper explores an unexpected yet compelling parallel between the evolution of the universe, as described by cosmological eras, and the artistic evolution of Taylor Swift, delineated by her distinct album eras. By mapping key characteristics and transitions in the universe’s history to corresponding themes and milestones in Swift’s career, I offer a novel perspective on both. I culminate with predictions for Swift’s future work and dare to ask a question of cosmic importance: Could Taylor Swift’s thirteenth album hold the secret to the universe’s ultimate destiny?
